The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1887-06-16
Another Sea Captain on Compulsory
Pilotage,

compulsory pilotage. Having been victim of
the outrage for the last thirty years, one
naturally feels strong sympathy for another
in like circumstances and pleasure in reading
his Indignation ably expressed. As another
instance of the workings of the system, and
for which think there is no call. | will relate
my own little experience on recent trip south.
| When in Philadelphia | was offered charter
to 60 to Satia river, Ga, and bring back Il
cargo of lumber In estimating the expense
| to be incurred on the trip, remembered to
have understood about one year ago that COM
pul>orv pilota@e in Georgia had been abolished.
and that vessels were privileged to enter and
depart from its ports free from the outrageous
robbery so long made legal. And as potage
forms very important item in the expense of
such trip, especially for small vessel. this
fact determined Inc to accept the offer for that
| port and chartered. On arrival off St. Simons
bar (Which is sometimes convenient for vessels
| of light draugbt bound to the Sata to llse)
| thought ! would 60 in over that bar. and pro-
! cure the services Of a tug boat (aS there
none on Satilla) to tow us up the river. Well,
just before arrival at the bar, saw in the dis
|
imagine the pride and relief experienced at
not being obliged to pay toll for the privilege
of enjoying what one would suppose under
| ordinary circumstances a natural right. If a
| bum boat had ut that time come alongside and
| offered to sell me blshcl of sweet potatoes
and l had not wanted them should have felt
no particular pride in refusing to buy them. I
| should have simply enjoyed my nNturul right
to keep my money, and the bum boat the same
right to keep their potatoes, to sell to some one
who did want them. But with the pilot boats
it was different. Having been. as | said before.
| victim of their eNtortions to the tune of from
sixty to scNenty-ivc dollars each trip for thirty
years. can you wonder that at that moment
| should feel seine unusual pride in refusing to
accept their services, not needing them. But
alas My pride was of very short duration.
! Within twenty -four hours was as low down
in my boots as | had been high in the air |
refused the pilot and took a tug. and on arrival
al the mills was told that the law making com.
| pulSory pilotage legal had been restored or Il
| no W one enacted. and that WAS again victim.
and in few days was presented with pilot
! bill to that effect
Now. Mr. Editor. please note the compari-
son. had made a trade with The captain of
the tug to tow Us from where we then were
| (out>e the barr in and up the river thirty
miles more or les>) and. after we were loaded.
| out to again for >iXty-tive dollars which
| was all he asked. But when he presented me
his bill, just before proceeding to sea- the pilot
at the same time presented his bill of sixty
seven dollars. There WAS the tu- rostin. |
suppose fifteen or twenty thousand dollars.
and running expenses not much less than
| $1,000 per day (ani whose services | still
/ ENJOY the priyileg" of refusing if | think !
| don't need thcml, that had towed us all that
i distance with Il bill of $50 90. and the pilot
| (whom | had no use for. and who knew did
not want him. who was on board the vessel
/ toutWard bound onlv) less than twenty-four
hours. i"c|"diHg q Jood nighEs Slrep and
under no expense even for his grub, with a bill
that | was obliged to pay of sixty seven
dollars. have wondered several times since
how he could have presented his bill at the
sam" time a> tu%-captain. and if he experienced
amy unusual sensation in the region where his
heart ought to be.
]
| doing to right this great wrong 1t does seem
! I" us who are sufferers. and We are many. that
! our Representatives cannot understand the
! full significance of the legislation whereby
such vast industry, struggling against heavy
| ""'>. Is hlaae to pay toll, not to class, (for
! thty are h"t numerous enough to cnov that
| 'li>tl1rtl0n). but simply 10 individuals and
| these very few. comparatively. And who are
| the individuals who receive the benefits of
such extraordinary legislation: The business
OF a pilot is such as not to require any yer,
| high degree Of intellect Almost any ordinary
| individual can perform their duties. Indeed, |
| know of some Very ordinary individual, who
are performing the duties of pilots quite sue
te>stuilv. 1t Is true their experience i mostly
| on board of vessels that have a tuy beat ahead,
| with "ood haw>cr attached. but is long As
the ship pays for the tu9 and hawser, all right.
| He will tel! his companions with pride how he
| took her in over the bar and how much WA
ter she drew. II is laughablc to those outsi,l-
er> who understand the situation, but do not
| have to foot the bills, while to those who re-
| ceiye the benefits it is the richest source of
amusement. But to those who have to pay Il
| is serious matter. | have nothing against
| pilots, individually, or as a class. 1t is good
business and there j. none other in the country
| better able to stand on it, own bottom one
| half the men now employed in the business
can perform all the necessary duties a> well or
| better than they are now done. But the pay j.
| so out Of all proportion to the services render
| et that vessels are hunted for hundreds Of
! miles at sea and away from where their duties
are required. | have been hoping all my life
| TO see Congress pass some law prohibiting one
| State from ruhbng another in this outrageous
| manner, but am getting discouraged But |
| believe in the distant future ii will be done and
| heartily wish the wrong might be riLhtc,l.
while We who have suffered 80 long and nm
| justly could reap the benefit.
| q. W. FRENCH.
! Portsmouth. \. H., May 80. 1S>I.